Ping Machine: DES TRUCS PAREILS

Bastien Ballaz – trombone; Guillaume Christophel – baritone saxophone & bass clarinet; Jean-Michel Couchet – alto & soprano saxophones; Andrew Crocker – trumpet; Fabien Debellefontaine – alto saxophone, clarinet & flute; Florent Dupuit – tenor saxophone, flute, alto flute & piccolo; Quentin Ghomari – trumpet & flugelhorn; Didier Havet – bass trombone & tuba; Rafael Koerner – drums, percussion & glockenspiel; Frédéric Maurin – guitar, percussion & direction; Benjamin Moussay –piano, fender rhodes & celesta; Fabien Norbert – trumpet, piccolo trumpet & flugelhorn; Raphaël Schwab – double bass
Julien Soro – tenor saxophone & clarinet

Incomparable

With their third album "DES TRUCS PAREILS" ("SAME STUFF"), Ping Machine continues to transcend any musical genre to achieve a thoroughly modern style of music.
The artistic maturity of the 14-musician ensemble is evident in the demanding compositions and their masterful interpretation. In his new works, Fred Maurin does not hesitate to lead the listener into a musical architecture full of poetry and contrasts.

The fusion of jazz and pop on one side and contemporary music on the other has always been strong and has contributed to the development of this music genre. It is this constant evolution that gives Ping Machine great joy in playing, disregarding any rules. The exploration of form and harmony, the use of spectral composition techniques, the juxtaposition of tonal blocks, the interplay of composition and improvisation, all driven by a truly rhythmic energy.

With an average age of 30, Fred Maurin's ensemble consists of both seasoned orchestral musicians and top-notch soloists. The level of collectivity and the musical generosity of each musician unleash a feeling and an energy that is reflected both on stage and in the studio. Together, they offer music that is simultaneously radical, complete, and passionate, all without neglecting the pleasure of the listeners and giving them the opportunity to recognize what lies behind this complex sonic structure.

More information at www.ping-machine.com

Press:

"Their jazz is resolutely modern. The compositional work done by Fred Maurin (guitar) is of a richness and depth that commands respect. You can find everything in 'Des Trucs Pareils', but not just anyhow. Everything harmonizes."

Le Mange Disque 02/12

"With all the elegance of their creative energy, they translate the work of an inventive whole, constantly on the move, which deploys colors in perpetual renewal through an exciting exploration. A variegated adventure that never leaves the listener on the sidelines."

Citizen Jazz 12/11 (Denis Desassis)

"Special mention for this quasi-big band with warm and powerful flights, within which each musician expresses themselves in a state of freedom that one quickly feels the need for, akin to a dependency. A flamboyant response to the recurrent gravediggers of jazz, which is more than alive here. It's boiling!"

Maitre Chronique 12/12

"Maurin's compositions play with the space for sprawling individual performances, during which the pieces continually evolve - an opulent pleasure."

Jazz'n'More 11/11 (Christof Thurnherr)

"The album is, at first impression, a colossal frontal attack. (...) Sensual impressions of various hues and solo parts shining with free spirit traverse the complex arrangements."

Jazzthetik 11/11 (Stefan Pieper)

"Furious (...) His (Fred Maurin's) sometimes suite-like pieces are orchestral roller coasters full of breaks, changes of style and mood, color and sound contrasts. And refreshing for the ear."

Fono Forum 11/11 (Berthold Klostermann)

"(...) the third album of a jazz band that never gives up on emotions."

Politis 09/11 (Lorraine Soliman)

"Ping Machine's music is demanding, very organic, and very well written. A narrative music (...) very rich and dense with sometimes surprising contrasts."

Jazzques 09/11

"(...) is a lot of fun and should definitely not be missing from any jazz collection."

diekopfhoerer.de 09/11 - Recording of the Week (Julian Auringer)

"Exciting music beyond the mainstream."

Jazz Zeitung 09/11 (Beate Sampson)

"(...) music saturated with great personality, a narrative breath, and a clear, extraordinary intelligence, making this album one of the best musical releases!"

Jazz Magazine 09/11 (Lionel Eskenazi)

"A new reference in XL-sized jazz."

Jazz News 09/11 (Vincent Bessieres)

"A slightly dark and gloomy atmosphere as in a thriller, developing and also thanks to the mini-suites ('Des Trucs Pareils', 'Dissonances cognitives') the young guitarist and conductor delivers a very strong, surprising, never linear music. This music oscillates between orchestral density and a sobriety that extends to a section with just one saxophone. Fred Maurin creates reliefs that allow us to enter a world of illusion, populated by wonderful beings, with dramatic tension arcs that take your breath away. (...) Each of them (soloist) shows a real understanding of the music, giving it a cinematic dimension."

Les Dernières Nouvelles du Jazz 09/11 (Jean-Marc Gelin)

"In France, the 14-member ensemble has long been celebrated for its explosive sound between 'relentlessness and freedom' (...) it is time for Ping Machine to be discovered outside France as well."

Jazz thing 09/11 (Rolf Thomas)

"... the segments seem like corals strung together on a chain, related in their rough form but each having its own shape and structure."

RONDO 01/10

"... a self-production of the Ludwigsburg Bauer Studios, is an example of how orchestral big band sound can be completely different. (...) Remarkable are the unusual instrument combinations."

JAZZPODIUM 11/09

"Fred Maurin gives the orchestral sound a true brilliance (...) Drive, sense of theatrics and impact, color and dynamics..."

Jazz Magazine 06/08

"One listens to the music jubilantly as the band plays."

Dernières Nouvelles du Jazz 06/08